Swimming pool pumping systems have a circulating pump with an inlet connected by an inlet water line to a drain opening in a skimmer chamber. Such systems have an inlet filter upstream of the inlet to the circulating pump and further have a larger capacity filter downstream of the circulating pump for removing particulates from the pool water and if desired including media for conditioning the pool water. One problem with such systems is that water may be drained from the pump when the filters are cleaned or replaced or if the pump is stopped or turned off. When water is drained the pump it is necessary to fill the pump cavity with priming liquid so that the pump impeller can efficiently draw liquid from the skimmer chamber to refill all the filter cavities and the inlet and outlet pipes of the pumping system.
In the past, in order to prime such systems it has been necessary to liquid fill the pump filter housings at a location which exposes the repair person to electrical wiring and other operative components of the system. If the priming liquid spills, it can present a shock hazard or damage the system.
According to the present invention, a pool pump primer is provided to prime pool pumps, having closed all filter access hatches, without having to refill a pump filter and without having to open the filtering components or without splashing water in the vicinity of the pump or its electric drive motor, or if the pump has been stopped, without having to open the pump filter access to fill with priming liquid.
While various pump primers are known, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 525,556; 868,192 and 1,528,253, none of the pumps are configured to provide a low cost, hand carried, portable pump that can be positioned to pump priming fluid into the inlet of a pump merely by inserting one end of the primer into a drain opening in a skimmer chamber and operating a valveless piston to draw priming liquid from the skimmer chamber for priming a pool water circulating pump.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,517,665 discloses the use of a separate hand pump that is used in association with the inlet water pipe to an engine cooling pump. However, in this case the connection to the separate hand pump is such that it will draw bilge water for discharge through the inlet water pipe directly to the sea. U.S. Pat. No. 2,297,238 discloses the use of a hand operated pump to prime a fuel system for a motor vehicle.
None of the aforesaid references provide a pool pump primer having features thereon that provide portability and quick connection to known pool skimmer components for priming a pump with liquid from the pool following cleaning and reconnection of the filtering components of a pool pumping system.